Coreopsis plant named &#39;Buttermilk&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Coreopsis  plant named ‘Buttermilk’ characterized by numerous daisy-type inflorescences that grow to 3.5 cm in diameter, inflorescences that are light yellow, hardy to Zone 6, maybe lower, grass green foliage on short stems, flowering for the whole summer, a low, dense, mounding habit, and excellent vigor.

BOTANICAL DENOMINATION

Coreopsis hybrid

VARIETY DESIGNATION

‘Buttermilk’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct Coreopsis and given the cultivar name ‘Buttermilk’. Coreopsis is in the family Asteraceae. This new cultivar originated from a controlled breeding program to produce hardy compact Coreopsis. The new cultivar originated from planned cross of two proprietary unnamed Coreopsis verticillata hybrid seedlings. The new cultivar of Coreopsis is an herbaceous perennial to be grown for landscape and container use in a sunny site.

Compared to the parents the new cultivar has light yellow flowers rather than yellow and/or a shorter habit.

Compared to Coreopsis ‘Star Cluster’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,035, the new cultivar is denser in habit with more stems from the crown and better branching. The new cultivar has smaller flowers without a center dark star pattern.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of the new variety. These characteristics in combination distinguish Coreopsis ‘Buttermilk’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. numerous daisy-type inflorescences that grow to 3.5 cm in diameter,

2. inflorescences that are light yellow,

3. hardy to Zone 6, maybe lower,

4. deep green foliage on short stems,

5. flowering for the whole summer,

6. a low, dense, mounding habit, and

7. excellent vigor.

This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (cuttings and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by cuttings and tissue culture using standard micropropagation techniques with terminal and lateral shoots, as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a nine-month-old Coreopsis ‘Buttermilk’ growing in the ground in the trial field in July in Canby, Oreg.

FIG. 2 shows a three-month-old Coreopsis ‘Buttermilk’ growing in a gallon container (not shown) in full sun outside in Canby, Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Coreopsis cultivar based on observations of nine-month-old specimens growing in the trial beds in full sun in Canby, Oreg. Canby is Zone 8 on the USDA Hardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95° F. in August to 32° F. in January. Normal rainfall in Canby is 42.8 inches per year. The color descriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007.

-   Plant:     -   -   Type.—herbaceous perennial.         -   Hardiness.—USDA Zones 6 to 9.         -   Size.—60 cm wide and 50 cm tall to top of inflorescences.         -   Form.—mound.         -   Vigor.—excellent.         -   Roots.—fibrous, stems root easily from stem cuttings. -   Stem:     -   -   Type.—ascending, well branched.         -   Size.—grows to 30 cm tall to where branches for flowering             and 8 mm wide.         -   Number of stems from the crown.—about 6.         -   Branching habit.—freely branched.         -   Internode length.—3.5 cm to 4.5 cm.         -   Surface.—glabrous.         -   Color.—Brown 200A at bottom 7 cm blending to Yellow Green             147B. -   Leaf:     -   -   Type.—simple.         -   Shape.—pinnately 5-parted with thread-like segments, to             linear on top leaves.         -   Arrangement.—opposite.         -   Size.—thread-like segments can spread to 8.5 cm wide and 5.5             cm long, the terminal linear segment can grow to 40 mm long             and 3 mm wide, laterals can grow to 47 mm long and 3 mm             wide.         -   Apex.—acute.         -   Margins.—entire.         -   Petiole.—2 mm to 11 mm long and 1 mm wide, Green N137A.         -   Surface texture.—sparsely pubescent on top and bottom side.         -   Venation.—pinnate, visible main vein the same color as the             leaf on both sides.         -   Color.—topside Green N137A, bottom side Green N137C. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Type.—long stalked terminal heads of daisy type             inflorescences.         -   Peduncle.—grows to 4.5 cm long, 1 mm wide, glabrous, Green             137A.         -   Size.—grows to 3.5 cm wide and 11 mm deep.         -   “Flower bud”.—globular, 4 mm wide and 5 mm deep, Yellow             Green147B on sides and Greyed Orange 164B on top, glabrous.         -   Receptacle.—disc shaped, 3 mm wide and 1.5 mm deep, Green             148B.         -   Phyllaries.—in 2 series; first series closet to ray florets,             campanulate, 5 mm deep and spreading 8 wide mm wide, 8 in             number, each 4 mm long and 3 mm wide, triangular, tip acute             and reflexed, margin entire, glabrous on both sides, both             sides Greyed Yellow 164A at the top ⅓ blending to 161A in             middle blending to 147A on bottom ⅓; lower series in an area             3 mm deep and 5 mm wide, 8 linear lobes, 2 mm long and 1 mm             wide, margin entire, tip acute, top side glandular, both             sides glabrous and Green 147A.         -   Lastingness.—each inflorescence lasts about a week on the             plant. -   Florets:     -   -   Type.—composite.         -   Ray florets.—8 in number (with 0 to 3 linear upright smaller             florets, 4 mm to 5 mm long and 1.5 mm to 2 mm wide) with no             pistil or stamen, grows to 15 mm long, 8 mm wide, obovate,             slightly reflexed, with the tip obtuse and shallowly             notched, base cuneate, margins entire, glabrous on both             sides; topside Yellow 2D on top half blending to 4C at the             base, bottom side Yellow 4D on top half to Yellow 4C on             bottom half.         -   Disc.—flat becoming rounded with maturity, 6 mm wide and             becoming 3 mm deep with maturity, Greyed Purple 187B.         -   Disc florets.—tubular, with stamen and pistil, about 35 in             number, 8 mm long and 1 mm wide, tubular; corolla 5 mm long,             5 lobed, tube Yellow 6C, lobes Greyed Purple 187B; pistil 1,             8 mm long, ovary 3 mm long, Green Yellow 1C, style 4 mm             long, with extruding, 2-branched stigma, stigma and style             Yellow Orange 16A; stamen 5, anthers 1.2 mm long, Greyed             Brown N199B, pollen Yellow 5A.         -   Bloom period.—June through frost in Canby, Oreg.         -   Fragrance.—slight.         -   Seed.—none seen.         -   Fertility.—unknown. -   Disease and pests: No pests or diseases have been observed on plants     grown under commercial conditions in Canby, Oreg. No resistances are     known. 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct Coreopsis plant as herein illustrated and described. 